SHERIDAN COUNTY, Wyo. — In the snowy mountains of Sheridan County, Wyoming, it may be hard to believe that a resort is open in the midst of the Elk Fire. However, Bear Lodge Resort has decided to reopen in hopes of making up for some of the lost business.
Burgess Junction, where the Bear Lodge Resort is located, is not in the danger zone, according to a press release from Sheridan spokeswoman Lisa Eichhorn.
Mack Carmack, MTN News
Bighorn Forest, October 19th
For many people in the area, mid-October usually means one thing.
Bear Lodge Resort manager Ian Lindsay said: “October is hunting season so it can be pretty busy. Unfortunately the fires coincided with a lot of that business.”
Mack Carmack, MTN News
Ian Lindsay, Bear Lodge Resort Manager
At Bear Lodge Resort, one of the busiest times of the year is early October. But the Elk Fire, which lasted nearly three weeks, caused the resort to lose much of its business.
“There’s a little bit of activity going on,” said Scott Jorgensen, one of the lodge’s owners. “It’s nothing different from normal, but we want people to know that if they need help, someone is here to help.” That’s a lot,” he said.
Mack Carmack, MTN News
Scott Jorgensen, co-owner of Bear Lodge Resort
Now that the first snow of the season has fallen, Bear Lodge Resort can reopen in hopes of rebuilding some of its hunting business.
“It’s weird to see no one here,” said Brady Tracy, a hunter and nearby resident.
His brother told MTN’s Jeff: “It’s very sad. This parking lot should be full.”
Mack Carmack, MTN News
Brady & Jeff Tracy
Jeff and Brady Tracy said they visit the area weekly during hunting season and were disappointed that it was closed most of the month.
“I feed my family by eating wild animals,” Jeff said.
“A lot of people don’t understand that hunting is more than just a sport; it’s actually about bringing food home,” Brady said.
Mack Carmack, MTN News
Bear Lodge Resort
The fire affected not only hunters, but also resort employees.
“In fact, all of us live in this lodge. That’s why the fire was especially difficult for us, because some of our employees actually have homes out of state. ” Lindsay said.
The resort’s soft reopening was officially announced on Saturday.
Jorgensen said business can be difficult to predict right now, especially since hunting season is almost over.
“We had a very limited staff and a soft opening so we could serve anyone who wanted to come in and check it out,” he said.
Mack Carmack, MTN News
Bear Lodge Resort
Now, crews are trying to stay positive as they prepare for another good season and hope for more snow soon.
“I had a really good lunch, but I don’t know. We’ll see how it goes,” Lindsey said.
